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Investing in the MLP Space: An Expert Analyst Advises Investors to Focus on Total-Return Potential, Not Just the Yield

67 WALL STREET, New York - March 22, 2013 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Oil & Gas: Master Limited Partnerships Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs and Equity Analysts. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

In the following excerpt from the Oil & Gas: Master Limited Partnerships Report, an expert analyst discusses the outlook for the sector for investors:

TWST: Were there any other themes or trends that stick out for you?

Mr. Katzenberg: The one other theme of note was the expansion of rail capacity. I know with MLPs most people think pipeline, but a lot of these MLPs have been building out rail capacity over the last couple of years.

Initially when this started, it was viewed as a short-term answer to the big increase in volumes that were coming on in all these shale plays. However, over this fourth-quarter conference call season, what stood out was that a lot of these companies are looking at rail as being a longer-term option, and something that we'll continue to see over the next 10 years.

That was a surprise to me and to a lot of the investors I've spoken with. The obvious reason for it is that instead of having to sign long-term contracts with a pipeline, the producers can enter into short-term contracts and move their crude to whatever regions are price advantaged. So we're seeing companies like Enbridge (EEP); Plains I mentioned made an acquisition recently; and Kinder (KMP) focus more on the upside from these rail projects.

TWST: You mentioned the large backlog of organic projects. How much M&A activity do you expect this year?

Mr. Katzenberg: With respect to the midstream companies, I really do not expect to see that much M&A. I think, because of the organic growth opportunities, there's not a need to go out and buy other companies, so I don't expect to see much on that side.

I think the one area where you may see it is if there is a new region or a new basin that a company is interested in moving into. The Marcellus and Utica shales on the East Coast come to mind; a lot of companies talk about how they wish they had...

For more of this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.